AMERICA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 639, 17 September 1851, Page 3

AMERICA.

The United States mail steam packet-ship Baltic has arrived in the Mersey. She brings upwards of 60 passengers. Among them are Dr. Benjamin Silliman, Professor of Geology &c., iu Yale College, and hrs sgs, Frofessor Silliman, jun., of the same institution, who visit Europe for the purpose, chiefly, of making a geological exploration of the central and southern portions of the continent. During her run the Baltic came in contact with a large stream of ice. The political news, since the sailing of the Africa, is important, as it embraces the close of the session of Congress, which has developed the customary excitement attendant upon that national event. Mr. Alien, a member of representatives from Massachusets, has startled the country with a charge against Mr. Webster, the Secretary of State, to the effect that Mr. W. was bribed by a sum of money (some 50,000 dols.) to accept his present office to advance the interests of his patrons. Mr. W., it appears, has received money, but merely in the way of a friendly advance, from individuals in no way connected with public affairs, and without expectation of advantage from the same. The necessity of such aid grows out of the sacrifice of Mr. Webster’s large professional revenue, and the limited revenue of the Secretaryship. A scuffle disgraced the last evening of the session in the house, between Messrs. Stanley

and Clingman. Tbe altercation, it is said, grew out of a conversation upon a speech of Clingman’s upon the river and harbour bill. All the accounts that we have seen state that Clingman struck the first blow, and, says a correspondent, >t felled him to the floor !” No notice was taken of the scuffle by the house. Had not members promptly interfered in person the consequences must have been most unfortunate. The second session of tbe 31st Congress thus terminated its existence on the 4th inst. On the 3rd inst., in the House of Representatives, Mr. M'Clernand, of Illinois, moved to take up the Senate resolution requesting the President to authorise one of the U. S. vessels in the Mediterranean to carry Kossuth and his companions to the United States. The resolution was passed by a large majority. On the 24tb ult., a terrible tornado nearly destroyed the town of Fayetteville, Tenessee. Samuel G. Goodrich, the world renowned author of Peter Parley’s Histories, has been nominated ambassador to Paris in place of Robert Walsh, resigned.